The San Pedro Sun

Belize Rural South Standard Bearers square off in first ever debateThe Belize Rural South (BRS) Standard Bearers contesting the general election on March 7th squared off in the first ever BRS Standard Bearers’ debate, well attended by a crowd of close to one hundred guests. The debate was a joint effort between The San Pedro Sun Newspaper and The Reef Radio/Reef TV.
The BRS Standard Bearers, Manuel Heredia, for the United Democratic Party, Ana Patricia Arceo for the People’s United Party, Robert “Bobby” Lopez for the Vision Inspired by the People and William “Mike” Campbell, Independent candidate, were all given a chance to respond and give opening and closing remarks with equally allotted time. A total of ten questions were asked and answered, ranging from topics such as education, tourism, Caye Caulker, crime, subvention, San Mateo and corruption.

Ambergris Today

Prospective Area Representatives Debate IssuesThe Sunbreeze Conference Room was the perfect venue for the first debate among four prospective Area Representatives who battled it out on issues affecting the lives of all residents of San Pedro Ambergris Caye, on Wednesday, February 15, 2012. The ten questions presented were well worded and set three of the candidates pointing fingers at Hon. Manuel Heredia, the incumbent standard bearer.
The Belize Rural South Standard Bearers include Manuel Heredia for the United Democratic Party, Ana Patricia Arceo for the People’s United Party, Robert “Bobby” Lopez for the Vision Inspired by the People and William “Mike” Campbell, Independent candidate. All four were given a chance to respond and give opening and closing remarks during equally allotted time. A total of ten questions were asked ranging from topics such as education, tourism, Caye Caulker, crime, subvention, San Mateo and corruption.

I Saw The Crown Jewel Of Belize - The Jade Head of Altun HaOn February 15th 2012, for the 10 year anniversary of the Museum of Belize, the crown jewel of Belize was unlocked from its vault and put on display for ONE DAY ONLY. I had to take a trip to Belize City.
The Mayan site of Altun Ha is located 31 miles north of Belize City and there, in 1968, an archaeologist from Canada made an amazing discovery. The Jade Head along with forty other objects, had been placed within a large tomb that was located below the stairs in one of the temples. The elderly adult male, probably an important ruler of the site during his lifetime, was buried with this jewel around 600 AD. And remained untouched for over 1300 years.
This one day exhibition and opening of the second floor of the museum was well worth travelling to Belize City for...
The museum is located in one of the colonial sections of the city in the old Belize City prison. School kids were out in droves to see the jade piece.

Belize Jade Head - The Maya Sun God - Kinich Ahau displayed for one day only at the Musuem of BelizeOn February 15th, 2011, for one day only, The Museum of Belize (NICH) offered the general public a rare glimpse into the past by showcasing a magnificent and unique Maya Artifact that is near and dear to the nation of Belize and its people, the Jade Head of the Sun God, Kinich Ahau.
The Belize Maya Jade Head of the Maya Sun God (Kinich Ahau) was removed from the vault and its casing from an undisclosed location to see the light of day once again in Belize. Many proud Belizeans including school children, as well as, cruise tour visitors lined up at the Museum of Belize to share a rare glimpse of this beautiful Maya Jade Head and Jewel of Belize.

Hard Hitting Questions Asked: San Pedro's First Standard Bearers' DebateLast night, Reef Radio and the San Pedro Sun newspaper hosted the first ever Area Representative debate between the four candidates running in the March 7th election. A few weeks ago, the mayoral candidates had their first debate (see: History Made) but this meeting was better and more exciting in so many ways. The questions were shorter and to the point, the representatives were allowed time for rebuttal, all reps were very well spoken. Instead of just vague, lofty ideas and promises, real facts and action steps were discussed and for the most part (though not all of the time), the questions were actually answered. And the venue (the conference room at the Sunbreeze Hotel) was quieter, acoustically better and much more conducive to this sort of event.
I think that there were lots of great points made by all and I hope voters were listening with open minds and not just think in party colors.
As I stated in my post on the mayoral candidates, I will try to stay impartial (though we all know that is impossible). I love politics, I am fascinated by the inner workings of this town and this country and I do love the fact that each vote REALLY does make a difference.

Life After last Flight The Scarlet Macaws remaining in Belize have shown a decline in number. Some of the birds return to the Upper Raspaculo River valley, however, they do not find the river they once knew or their nesting trees which grew alongside that river. The Scarlet Macaws find a lake, or a "mud-hole", as it has been referred to in the height of the dry season, due to the Chalillo Dam. They return in a vain effort to carry out their nesting regime. No successful nesting activity has been noted or reported. The attempts to place "nest boxes" in the area which the Macaws once used as a vibrant nesting region, and have these "new homes" replace the traditional nesting trees, have been a total failure.

Tasty and Interesting Foods I Ate in BelizeI never intended for my blog to be about food, but as I’ve said before I love food. And travel includes a lot of new and loved food experiences. I already told you about our lobster feasts and traditional Belizean Stewed Chicken yumminess, but I actually ate some other interesting and great tasting dishes in Belize…even some that might seem unexpected. Given the wide variety ethnicities in Belize, I think everything I ate was ‘Belizean’. Serendib in San Ignacio, Tina’s in Hopkins, Innie’s in Hopkins, Chinese Food in Hopkins, Don Corleone’s on Caye Caulker, Lily’s Treasure Chest in San Pedro Town, Fry Jacks at Sobre Las Ola’s and Hand 2 Mouth on Caye Caulker,

Coconut Bread Recipe – A Unique Belizean TreatMethod: combine all the ingredients and kneed well, if dough is too sticky, add a bit more flour, if it is too dry, add more coconut milk or warm water. Place dough in a mixing bowl covered with plastic film or a kitchen towel. Let it rise for an hour. Punch down dough with your hands and shape bread, grease a baking tray or place a non stick baking mat and arrange balls of breads separated one to another. Let the bread to rise again until double its size, bake at 350 C for a space of 30 min or until golden brown.

Travel Thirst Thursday – Ambergris CayeToday begins the start of a new weekly blog posting called “Travel Thirst Thursday.” What better way to jump start the weekend than to spark some travel ideas! Each Thursday we will showcase one destination around the world with photos and some general information. If you have a place that you’d like to see featured, send us a quick message and we’ll feature it in a future post. For now, enjoy!
The Islands – Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker
Things to do:
Belize Barrier Reef – check out the world’s second longest barrier reef in the world
Bird Watch – check out the large variety of bird species that call Belize home
Catch a big one – cast your line from the shore or go out with a guide
Set sail – sail to a nearby caye and catch a magnificent sunset
Explore the island – rent a golf cart for the day and start sightseeing
Dance the night away – enjoy the lively island nightlife, including karaoke!

International Sources

Belize’s Credit Rating Cut One Level to Caa1 by Moody’sBelize’s credit rating was cut by Moody’s Investors Service Inc. on “significant questions about the country’s willingness” to make debt payments.
Moody’s cut Belize’s foreign-currency credit rating to Caa1, or seven steps below investment grade, from B3. The rating will remain on review for further downgrades, Moody’s said in a statement.
The change reflects increased concerns the government will seek to restructure its debt after comments about such a move by the prime minister ahead of upcoming elections, Moody’s said.
“Recent statements coming out of Belize suggests this administration may eventually contemplate modifying the original conditions,” Moody’s said.

Moody's Cuts Belize Ratings On Debt Restructuring ConcernsMoody's Investors Service lowered its credit rating on Belize one notch further into junk territory, citing increased concerns of another possible debt restructuring.
Moody's lowered Belize's government bond rating to Caa1, which denotes highly speculative credit, from B3. The rating remains on review for a possible further downgrade.
Moody's said recent comments from Belize suggest the administration may eventually modify the original conditions of its $547 million superbond, which is equivalent to half of the government debt and is the result of the country's 2007 distressed debt exchange. Superbond debt service has been rising due to coupon step-ups and will continue to increase once the debt begins amortizing in 2019. This will put further pressure on Belize's generally weak public finances, Moody's said. The coupon on Belize's superbond began at 4.25% and is scheduled to jump to 8.5% later this year.
The ratings firm said managing increased debt service payments poses significant financial challenges for Belize, which already faces weak economic growth prospects and expectations of declining oil royalties--a key source of government revenue.
Moody's downgrade comes a week after Standard & Poor's Ratings Service also pushed Belize's credit status a notch deeper into junk territory after comments from its prime minister signaled less political will to service its large debt.

Immigrants in BelizeBELIZE has long been a country of immigrants. British timber-cutters imported African slaves in the 18th century, and in the 1840s Mexican Mayans fled a civil war. More recently, North American sun-seekers and retired British soldiers have discovered its coast. Light- and dark-skinned men stand side by side on the country’s flag.
The latest migration is from elsewhere in Central America. Thousands of Salvadoran refugees arrived in the 1980s. More recently, Guatemalans have come seeking land. Of Belize’s 300,000 people, 15% are foreign-born. Thanks to higher birth rates, mestizos have overtaken creoles (of mixed African ancestry) to become the biggest group, making up half the population.
Belize now has more native speakers of Spanish than of English or its lilting cousin, Belizean Creole. English remains the lingua franca and the only official tongue. But Spanish is gaining ground: many posters for an election on March 7th are in Spanish and Dean Barrow, the (creole) prime minister, reads translations of some speeches. Naturalisation ceremonies are bilingual, and speaking English is not required for citizenship. Schools teach in English, but Spanish lessons are mandatory.

Treaty staying quiet after Belize rowTreaty Energy Corporation has said it will not make any further comment about its exploration efforts in Belize after a spat with the government over an oil discovery the local prime minister said did not exist. Andrew Reid, chief executive of the New Orleans and Houston-based explorer, told Upstream he was not able to comment about the company’s exploration activities in Belize, in a 50/50 joint venture with Princess Petroleum, owners of Belize’s Princess Casino.
He would only say that “in the future we must have Government of Belize and Princess Petroleum approval prior to issuing any statements”.
The government of Belize did not respond to two requests for comment from Upstream.
The spat broke out after Treaty Energy announced an oil discovery on 30 January with its first well at the Princess Concession, the San Juan 2.

For One Bride-To-Be, Valentine's Day Turned South, Way South ... All The Way to Belize, Central America!Belize 12/12/12 Maya Temple Wedding Winner Announced!
SAN PEDRO, Belize and FRISCO, Texas, Feb. 15, 2012 -- Janelle Franklin and Abel Garcia, Jr. were surprised to learn that their Valentine's Day took a sudden southern turn yesterday. The couple, from a suburb of Dallas, were informed at a Press Conference in Frisco, TX, that they won the Grand Prize wedding and honeymoon package in a pretty extraordinary contest, the www.2012weddingsbelize.com Maya Marriage of Many.
The Grand Prize, worth $16,030, is one of only 12 coveted Bridal Packages for the Maya Marriage of Many that includes the exotic wedding ceremony and a honeymoon by Lara Goldman of Romantic Travel Belize, in conjunction with luxury wedding planner Lisa Light of Lisa Light Destination Bride and celebrity photographer, Terry Gruber, among others. "Janelle and Abel are an amazing couple and the perfect representatives of the Maya Marriage of Many. Janelle was born overseas, and they got engaged on the Eiffel Tower (they climbed it!), so their international flair is just perfect for this event. I could not have hand chosen a better couple to win this package. I look forward to spending the year with them," said Lara Goldman, owner of Romantic Travel Belize and contest organizer. "With the Big Reveal behind us and our cornerstone couple in place, now the attention shifts to the remaining 11 couples whose stories will be woven into the fabric of Mayan culture and tradition with this exclusive historical event."

Channel 7

UDP Objects to Schakron Candidacy
Tomorrow is nomination day for General Election candidates - but dual national and PUP Lake-I candidate Yolanda Schakron may be barred from offering herself for office because she is a U...

Shifting Sands In The Lake
Like sands shifting in an earthquake, the political landscape is changing very quickly in Lake Independence. Just during this newscast, we've received reports that with the difficulties b...

UDP Launch Citco Manifesto
And while all that is sure to come to a tremendous bubbling, boil tomorrow during the nomination day activities, there are other less contentious political matters - such as the laun...

Veteran Cop Remanded
7news has been closely following the case of the Special Branch Corporal, Gino Peck, who was busted on January 21 with an illegal ammunition cache at his Currasow Street residence by the...

Mother Of 7 Remanded For Stabbing
Hilda "Gobbler" Kelly, a 34 year-old mother of 7 residing on Fabers Road, is in prison tonight, remanded for the the attempted murder of 53 year-old Shirley Leslie, a resident of Saint Tho...

$300,000 Dollar Water Taxi Recovered
There's some good news tonight for the owner of San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi, who reported to Police that his 45 foot water taxi boat named Caribbean Star, was stolen sometime between...

GSU Still Making Busts
Despite taking heat from some the Prime Minister and his senior Minister Michael Finnegan, The Gang Suppression Unit has been keeping up the pressure on the city's crime hotspots. And...

Belize Updates Its Climate Change Position
Last April, Belize hosted a workshop for scientists from the region that are studying the effects of climate change on small island states. The purpose of that workshop was for scient...

The Coalition's Plan B
Last night we told you about the so-called national People's Referendum being organized by the Belize Coalition to Save our Natural Heritage. It's their Plan B after the formal referen...

Profiles..
A week ago, we promised you a profile on an accomplished Belizean music producer - who you'd probably never heard of, but had definitely heard his music. Well, it never got to air, because o...

Man Accused Of Stealing From A Bank, Acquitted
Earlier this evening, a Jury of 6 women and 3 men found 23 year-old William Stevens not guilty of 5 counts of theft in the courtroom of Justice Adolph Lucas. It was alleged that he sto...

Channel 5

Objection to Yolanda Schakron’s nomination<Nomination day for the March seventh general elections is this Friday. But will Yolanda Schakron make it on the ballot paper? There are last minute moves tonight to block her from running for general elections in Lake Independence. An objection to have her rejected this Friday is churning to crush her political ambitions. The government ...

Schakron says renunciation process is underway<Before the news of the objection by a Lake Independence elector was made, News Five spoke to Schakron about her dual nationality and if all would be well by Friday. For clarity, Schakron at the time of the interview was not yet aware of the objection. When we spoke to her, she had just returned ...

Christian Workers Union tells S.S.B. employees; DO NOT BE INTIMIDATED<The scandal at the Social Security Board over insider trading continues to spiral out of control. At the heart of it is the C.E.O. Merlene Bailey. On Monday, the Board of Directors combed through an audit by Pannel Kerr Foster and decided it was necessary to dismiss the C.E.O. Chair of the Board, Lois Young, ...

U.D.P. launches its Manifesto<On Wednesday, nominations were held for mayoral and councilor candidates countrywide. The U.D.P. is fighting an uphill battle to remain at City Hall after a disastrous term in office which saw the outgoing mayor Zenaida Moya being expelled from her party. This afternoon, the governing party unveiled its manifesto. Central to its election platform is ...

Friends of Belize Forum<Foreign direct investment has nosedived in the past years from one hundred and twenty million to thirty million dollars. This past Wednesday, a high level forum was held in Washington, DC, at the Rhaburn building of the US Capitol complex. The event attracted the participation of personalities from the state department, IMF, Heritage Foundation and ...

Charges dropped against wife; but cop locked up<It was a very emotional morning for Corporal Gino Peck and his wife, Loretta Peck. The couple was busted on January twenty-first at their home and had been charged with firearm and ammunition offences. But this morning, when they returned to court, only the corporal was charged and his wife was freed. After she exited ...

Found NOT Guilty of $40,000 theft<A jury today returned a not guilty on five counts of Theft against Belize City resident, twenty-four year old William Steven, an ex-employee of Caye Bank International Limited. Steven was accused of stealing forty-three thousand dollars from the bank. Prosecutor, Triennia Young, called as many as eight witnesses, including the Steven’s ex-girlfriend Neima Gomez, Joy ...

Students taken out of school for Nomination Day<Wednesday was nomination day for the municipal elections and News Five had coverage from Belize City and Belmopan. But there were some sparks flying in Benque Viejo over the crowd that gathered for the United Democratic Party Nominations. According to P.U.P. Cayo West Standard Bearer, Oscar Sabido, the P.U.P. nominations were held from ten a.m. ...

On the Campaign Trail with P.U.P. Albert’s David Craig<Our campaign trail today followed David Craig, the People’s United Party’s point man in Albert. Craig was placed on the ticket following the resignation of longtime area representative Mark Espat earlier this month. Despite the late start, Craig has hit the ground running and is knocking on as many doors in the constituency as time ...

Belize is vulnerable and heavily affected by Climate Change<Climate change is a global issue that unfortunately affects developing nations more than the developed continents. Just one degree in temperature has serious economic implications for many nations including Belize. That is why stakeholders along with the Climate Change Center and the Ministry of Natural Resources gathered for the Belize Third National Communication to the ...

Family grieves loss, but gives advice to public<Over the years we have carried numerous reports about the anemic services rendered to patients at public hospitals. A grieving family from Ladyville told us today that while they categorically wished not to bring disrepute to the KHMH, they feel that their loved one died prematurely under the care of nurses at the hospital. Daughter, ...

BELPO calls on GOB to help Conejo Villagers<Twenty-three employees from Conejo Village in the south were fired by U.S Capital Energy last week. The problems started when the residents complained that a seismic testing line was running through the village. The Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management believes that the firings were an act of spite because Capital Energy did not get ...

2012 Kinich Ahau Art Festival<This coming Sunday, NICH and Kinich Ahau Art Committee will be holding another festival under the Maya 2012 calendar of activities. The Mayan temple of Altun Ha in the Village of Maskall is the venue to showcase the wood carving industry and the works of the carvers in the area. The artists will also participate ...

LOVE FM

JURY DELIBERATES MAN’S FATE
A jury of six women and three men is deliberating the fate of 26-year-old
William Stevens today in the court of Justice Adolph Lucas on charges of
five counts of theft for a total of $43,000.00. The thefts occurred
between March 2007 and October 2007 at Caye International Bank in San
Pedro, Ambergris Caye where Stevens worked in the customer care service.
The crown, represented by Crown Counsel Trienna Young alleged that Stevens
stole $5,000.00 on two separate occasions by depositing the money in Earett
Cain’s account. The prosecution also alleged that Stevens stole $10,000.00
to purchase an Isuzu D Max from Bravo Motors, $17,000.00 to purchase land
and $6,000.00 which he asked Cain to buy a car for him. The chief witness
for the prosecution was Joy Flowers, the executive Vice President of Caye
International Bank. Flowers testified that Stevens did not get a loan from
the bank. Stevens gave a statement from the dock in which he denied he
committed the thefts and that he got a loan from the bank. Stevens was
represented by attorney Tricia Pitts Anderson.
Story at http://www.lovefm.com/ndisplay.php?nid=

CLIMATE CHANGE DISCUSSED
The weather doesn’t make the headlines on a regular day. But is the topic
on the agenda today, or more so, the climate. It’s the Third National
Communication and Workshop leading to the Caribbean Climate Change Project
launch. It’s all aimed at setting certain goals to adjust to the changes
in the climate. According to the Director of Policy and Planning at the
Ministry of Natural Resources, Paul Flowers, Belize falls within a specific
category and has its own goals.
Paul Flowers – Director of Policy and Planning
“We are in a special category called uniquely vulnerable. We are uniquely
vulnerable because of some very specific parameters that our country finds
itself in. We are low lying, we have a lot of our population living along
the coast, we experience extreme events and we are custodians of this Great
Barrier Reef. So far from a climate change perspective, our lives, our
livelihood and our position in the world can be significantly altered if we
don’t adapt as a people to the effects that climate change is going to
bring.
Story at http://www.lovefm.com/ndisplay.php?nid=

WOMAN CHARGED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER
34-year-old Hilda Kelly, a mother of seven who allegedly stabbed Shirley
Leslie was charged with attempted murder when she appeared in court. Kelly
was also charged with dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm. No
plea was taken from her because the offences are indictable. Chief
Magistrate Ana Marie Smith could not offer her bail because of the nature
of the offences. Kelly was remanded into custody until March 20. The
incident occurred yesterday in front of Payless Store on Jasmine Street.
Leslie reported to the police that Kelly stabbed her in the neck. Leslie
was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where she was admitted to
ward.
Story at http://www.lovefm.com/ndisplay.php?nid=

UDP PRESENTS CITY COUNCIL MANIFESTO
Marion Ali reporting...
"UDP Mayoral candidate, Darrel Bradley and his councilor candidates
presented their manifesto this afternoon at their party’s headquarters in
the presence of party supporters. And while the present Council has been
met by fierce criticism from the public, the new UDP slate, made up of a
blend of present Councilors and new candidates, will, according to Bradley
endeavour to set things right and that will start with a slew of must do’s
that they plan to carry out within the first 100 days in office, including
a code of conduct.
Darrel Bradley, Mayoral Candidate, UDP
“We are so serious about integrity, we are so serious about honesty in
Government that I am willing to tell you that if I breach my oath of
office, I want every single one of you, the UDP to be the first ones to
challenge me in office and to go and have me recalled as Mayor because we
are serious about what we say and we need to put it in the law. We will
legislate mandatory provisions to require that there be independent
auditing of all city council accounts, we will also put in the law to
ensure that contracts over a certain amount must go to pubic tendering.”
”
Story at http://www.lovefm.com/ndisplay.php?nid=

TWO INJURED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENT
A man and his child remain hospitalized following a traffic accident on the
Western Highway on Wednesday.
Fem Cruz reporting...
“A traffic accident yesterday evening has left a father in a critical
condition. According to 38-year-old Ana Espat on Wednesday sometime around
6:40 p,m. she and her three year old daughter Hannah were travelling along
with her husband, 53-year-old Kim Espat on a motorcylce heading from
Belmopan enroute to Roaring Creek Village. Just before reaching M & J’s
Supermarket in front of the Belmopan Showgrounds, she saw a van coming from
the opposite direction which took a left turn into their lane to turn into
a feeder road. She tried to alert her husband but it was too late. The
motorcycle collided into the side of the van. All three persons, residents
of Roaring Creek Village were transported to the Western Regional Hospital
where Kim Espat was seen suffering from a broken right foot in several
places, severe head and body injuries and might lose one eye and his right
foot. He was later transferred to the KHMH in a critical condition along
with his daughter who suffered two fractured leg. Ana Espat remains in a
stable condition at Western Regional Hospital suffering from a large cut
wound to the head and complained of pain to her right shoulder and hip. The
police van was being driven at the time by 37-year-old Sergeant Alvin Neal
Jr. who is stationed at the Belmopan Police Headquarters."
Story at http://www.lovefm.com/ndisplay.php?nid=

UNION SAYS SOCIAL SECURITY WORKERS SHOULD NOT SIGN LETTER
Multiple sources have indicated that the Board of directors of the Belize
Social Security Board has voted to terminate the services of Chief
Executive Officer Merlene Bailey Martinez and internal Auditor Denise
Mahler. The two senior executives of the SSB were place on suspension last
month following allegations that they used privileged information to get
staff to adjust their loans in order to take advantage of the government’s
debt write off scheme for non-performing loans. An independent audit was
carried out by the Panel Kerr Foster accounting firm, but the results of
that audit have not been made public. Love News has been attempting to get
information on the employment status of the suspended Martinez and Mahler;
but we are told that the Chairman of SSB, attorney Lois Young is out of the
country, and the acting CEO has been in meetings since yesterday. Multiple
staff of Belize Social Security Board who contacted Love News indicates
that a petition is being circulated for them to sign, claiming that they,
the staff want the Board to reinstate Merlene Bailey Martinez and Denise
Mahler.
Story at http://www.lovefm.com/ndisplay.php?nid=

OBJECTION FILED AGAINST YOLANDA SCHAKRON’S CANDIDACY
The case of Yolanda Schakron and her eligibility to contest the general
election as the PUP standard bearer in Lake Independence has taken another
twist. On the eve of nomination day, the government Press Office issued a
press release saying that a formal objection to her nomination has been
delivered to the Returning Officer for the Lake Independence Electoral
Division. The objection, according to the government press release is
based on Section fifty eight, subsection 1-A of the Belize Constitution
which provides that, quote: “no person shall be qualified to be elected as
a member of the House of Representatives who is, by virtue of his own act,
under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a
foreign power or State,” end of quote. Late this evening, the
Communication’s Director for the People’s United Party Lisa Shoman
confirmed to Love News that the party is aware of the government press
release; but that any objection to her eligibility to stand for election in
Lake Independence should be lodged in the Supreme Court. In any event,
Shoman says that the PUP has gone to the Supreme Court for a Constitutional
Challenge to what she says is the government’s attempt to bar Mrs. Shackron
from contesting the general elections. So as it stands, Yolanda Schakron
will be going in to get nominated, as planned tomorrow morning. We will
have more on this ongoing saga in our newscast tomorrow.

CTV3

PUP Billboards VandalizedThis morning two P.U.P billboards, one of the Honorable John Briceno and the second of the P.U.P Town Council Team located on Price Avenue, were vandalized allegedly by members of the United Democratic Party. When we visited the area this morning we found Briceno’s billboard sliced in half while the billboard promoting the P.U.P 7 team was torn on two sides. When we spoke to residents of the area today we were informed that two individuals known as strong supporter of the U.D.P were seen tearing down the billboards. When their attention was called they immediately left the area leaving the remnants of the billboards behind.

88 Year Old Accuses Denny Grijalva Of Excavating On His Land Without PermisionIn this heated political climate, certain politicians are willing to do almost anything to solicit votes; from making lavishing promises to giving away ham and turkeys. But in Orange Walk Central U.D.P Standard Bearer Denny Grijalva is being accused of going one step further. A man from the village of San Estevan is tonight accusing Grijalva of stealing white marl from his cane field and sharing it among party supporters. Today, after receiving a call from 88 year old Adolfo Vasquez, we headed to the village of San Estevan where we found the elderly man up in arms. Today 88 year old Adolfo Vasquez made serious accusations against U.D.P Orange Walk Central Standard Bearer Denny Grijalva. According to Vasquez on January 27th when he visited his cane field he witnessed when a man allegedly hired by Grijalva was excavating his property.

PUP And UDP Orange Walk Mayoral Candidates Appear On Open Your EyesThe country’s mayoral candidates over the past weeks have appeared on Channel Five’s “Open Your Eyes” morning show co-hosted by Marlenie Cuellar and William Neal.
Today the Orange Walk Town Mayoral Candidates the United Democratic Party’s Ivan Leiva and the People’s United Party’s Kevin Bernard were guests on the show.
The first question that was asked to Leiva was what made him want to run for politics? In the case of Bernard his first question was what made him want to continue in political arena since he is presently a member of the Orange Walk Town Council? Here is there response.

UDP Accepts Mayoral Debate On Love FMAt the top of the newscast we showed you how both the P.U.P and the U.D.P Mayoral Candidate for the Orange Walk District handled the tough questions during the Open Your Eyes Show this morning. But that’s not the last time that you will see both men appearing on national television because on February 27th P.U.P Mayoral Candidate Kevin Bernard and U.D.P Mayoral Candidate Ivan Leiva will be the participants in the Love F.M Mayoral Debate. Viewers might recall that a few weeks ago Bernard informed CTV3 News that the Mayoral Debate series had been cancelled since the U.D.P did not respond to Love FM’s invitation.
As a result, Bernard challenged Leiva to accept the debate. And it seems that the tactic worked because after much pressure from the media and Belizeans on a whole, the U.D.P decided to accept Love FM’s invitation. And from what we found out the debate between Leiva and Bernard will be an interesting one especially since Leiva has gone on record stating that he never said he did not want to take part in what Belizeans are calling a democratic process.

LOVE TV

Man walks free of theft chargeA jury of six women and three men is deliberating the fate of 26-year-old William Stevens today in the court of Justice Adolph Lucas on charges of five counts of theft for a total of $43,000.00. The thefts occurred between March 2007 and October 2007 at Caye International Bank in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye where Stevens worked in the customer care service. The crown, represented by Crown Counsel Trienna Young alleged that Stevens stole $5,000.00 on two separate occasions by depositing the money in Earett Cain’s account. The prosecution also alleged that Stevens stole $10,000.00 to purchase an Isuzu D Max from Bravo Motors, $17,000.00 to purchase land and $6,000.00 which he asked Cain to buy a car for him.

Woman remanded to prison for stabbing anotherThirty four year old Hilda Kelly, a mother of seven who allegedly stabbed Shirley Leslie was charged with attempted murder when she appeared in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court today. Kelly was also charged with dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm. No plea was taken from her because the offences are indictable. Chief Magistrate Ana Marie Smith could not offer her bail because of the nature of the offences. Kelly was remanded into custody until March 20. The incident occurred on Wednesday in front of Payless Store on Jasmine Street. Leslie reported to the police that Kelly stabbed her in the neck. Leslie was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where she was admitted to ward.

Fate of SSB Chief Executive Officer still not decidedMultiple sources have indicated that the Board of directors of the Belize Social Security Board has voted to terminate the services of Chief Executive Officer Merlene Bailey Martinez and internal Auditor Denise Mahler. The two senior executives of the SSB were place on suspension last month following allegations that they used privileged information to get staff to adjust their loans in order to take advantage of the government’s debt write off scheme for non-performing loans. An independent audit was carried out by the Panel Kerr Foster accounting firm, but the results of that audit have not been made public. Love News has been attempting to get information on the employment status of the suspended Martinez and Mahler; but we are told that the Chairman of SSB, attorney Lois Young is out of the country, and the acting CEO has been in meetings since yesterday.

NICH plans Kinich Ahau FestivalOn Sunday February nineteenth the grounds of Altun Ha Mayan Site will be the location for the Kinich Ahau Art Festival that is being sponsored by the National Institute of Culture and History through the Institute of Creative Arts and in conjunction with the Kinich Ahau Art Committee. It is also the second event held under the Maya 2012 Calendar.